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PAX South 2015: Pox Nora is the coolest online card game you've never heard of
Pox Nora is a game that's hard to categorize. It's like Hearthstone, you see, because it's an online card game. But it's also like Civilization because it uses turn-based combat on a variety of maps with terrain that affects the battle. And maybe it's like Minecraft as well because it was built by a tiny team and developed incrementally through the feedback of a passionate fan base. Pox Nora was free-to-play before free-to-play was a thing. It's gone from tiny little indie to SOE-backed product and back again. And through its eight years, it's managed to fly quietly under the radar while its developers continually churn out content, implement community ideas, and expand its possibilities. At PAX South over the weekend, I sat down with Arthur Griffith, CEO of Desert Owl Games and co-creator of Pox Nora, to learn more about the game and its latest content additions.
A Pox (Nora) on Steam
Turn-based tactical online game Pox Nora resurfaced on Steam this week. The free-to-play title, originally released by Octopi Media in 2006 and at one time owned and operated by SOE, is now being published by Desert Owl Games. You can get an idea of Pox Nora's gameplay via the tutorial video embedded after the break.
Pox Nora transferred from SOE to original developers
Desert Owl Games has announced it has taken control of Pox Nora from Sony Online Entertainment, a transition that's been months in the planning. "It's unprecedented to have a big game studio return a title to the original creators. Sony Online Entertainment could have easily gone the more common route: stopped producing content and letting Pox Nora fade away. Instead, they chose to do what is best for the players! It's amazing, and we are so excited to continue to support such a great game," said Art Griffith, CEO of Desert Owl Games. Pox Nora is a free-to-play, collectible digital miniatures game that was first launched in 2006 but was officially transferred to its new owner last month. It was developed by many of the same people who make up Desert Owl Games today, including the three founding members of the new indie studio. Be sure to visit this page for more information on transferring your existing SOE account, and keep an eye on the Desert Owl Games forums for the latest updates. [Source: SOE press release]
SOE's super offers for super fans
Sony Online Entertainment wants to give the superfans more reasons to log in to their favorite games this Cyber Monday. Most of the SOE titles, like EverQuest, EverQuest II, Everquest II Extended, Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, and Pox Nora, are offering discounts on Station Cash as well as other special offers starting November 29th and ending December 3rd. Just $37.50 US buys you 5,000 Station Cash, while $65 US buys you 10,000. That means you can finally purchase that sparkle pony cat you always wanted. In addition to these offers, each SOE title has its own daily deal. Free Realms is giving triple member discount on items. EverQuest, EverQuest II, and EverQuest II Extended have 50% off a daily featured item. Clone Wars Adventures is giving away special discounts to members. And PoxNora will not be left behind with offers ranging up to 50% off game items. Log in to your Station account for more information on these offers or visit the games' respective websites.
SOE readies Super Fan Days promotion, Station Cash discounts
Sony Online Entertainment is having a sale and you're invited. Whether you're currently playing Free Realms, Clone Wars Adventures, EverQuest, EverQuest II, EverQuest II Extended, or PoxNora, you'll find a number of daily deals on selected items each time you log into the games between November 3rd and November 9th. Each title will also have a special one-day sale on a particular item to celebrate the Super Fan Days promotion. In addition to the item deals, SOE is offering 50% off of selected Station Cash purchases. You can pick up 2000, 2500, 5000, or 10000 Station Cash for half off the normal fee. Check the official game websites, linked above, for the latest info on the daily deals and other promotions. You can also read the official announcement on the SOE forums.
SOE releases Fan Faire attendee list
Thinking about heading to Sony Online Entertainment's annual Fan Faire gala, but not sure if your favorite developer or community liaison will be in attendance? Fear not, as Ashlanne has posted an exhaustive list of attendees on the official Station community forums. This year's event, scheduled to take place August 5th - 8th in Las Vegas, will feature a veritable who's who of SOE talent, including developers from EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, Pox Nora, and The Agency Covert Ops. You can visit the official Fan Faire website for more information and the official Station forums for the full guest list.
Look inside SOE with Ustream
Curious about what goes on behind the scenes over at Sony Online Entertainment? If so, Ustream has your backstage pass in the form of the Inside SOE Broadcast. The 30 minute live event will take place today, May 26th, at 1:30 pm Pacific (9:30 pm GMT). The broadcast will feature live chat as well as a question and answer session with Community and Development team members. Topics will include the new Halas Reborn update in Everquest II, newly released Free Realms items, and The Agency: Covert Ops and Pox Nora Facebook games. Check out the SOE Ustream channel to watch the event, and be sure to create an account and log in to text chat with the SOE team.
SOE hiring Community Relations Manager
Are you a huge people person? Do you really like to write? How's your general level of web-fu? If you've got all those traits and are interested in getting into the games industry, then Sony Online Entertainment may just have the job for you. Apparently they need a Community Relations Manager in their new SOE Tucson offices to help support their most recent addition to the SOE lineup, PoxNora. The job involves "newsletters, contests, community outreach programs, tournaments, and live chats, as well as assisting in forum moderation and working with the appropriate development teams to provide valid community feedback" along with working with the PoxNora dev team. If that sounds like your idea of fun, be sure to pop by and check out the full job listing. Of course, if you're just curious about the formation of SOE Tucson and what PoxNora is all about, be sure to check out our interview with the Director of Development for PoxNora, Dan Kopycienski!
